Sec. 10.42.04.07. Summary Suspension of a License

A. Pursuant to its authority under State Government Article, §10-226(c)(2), Annotated Code of Maryland, the Board shall order the summary suspension of a license if the Board determines that there is a substantial likelihood that a licensee poses a risk of harm to the public health, safety, or welfare.

B. Notice of Intent to Summarily Suspend.

(1) Based on information gathered in an investigation or otherwise provided to the Board, the Board may vote to issue:

(a) A notice of intent to summarily suspend a license; or

(b) An order of summary suspension.

(2) If the Board votes to issue a notice of intent to summarily suspend a license or an order of summary suspension, the Board shall refer the matter to an administrative prosecutor for prosecution.

(3) A notice of intent to summarily suspend a license shall include:

(a) A proposed order of summary suspension which is unexecuted by the Board and includes:

(i) The statutory authority on which the action has been taken;

(ii) Allegations of fact that the Board believes demonstrate a substantial likelihood that the licensee poses a risk of harm to the public health, safety, or welfare; and

(iii) Notice to the respondent of the right to request a full hearing on the merits of the summary suspension if the Board executes the proposed order of summary suspension; and

(b) An order or summons to appear before the Board to show cause why the Board should not execute the order of summary suspension and which notifies the respondent of the consequences of failing to appear.

(4) Service.

(a) The Board shall serve a respondent with a notice of intent to summarily suspend a license not later than 5 days before a predeprivation show cause hearing is scheduled before the Board.

(b) Service of the notice of intent to summarily suspend shall be made:

(i) Personally upon the respondent;

(ii) By certified mail to the address the respondent is required to maintain with the Board; or

(iii) By other reasonable means to effect service.

(c) If the Board is unable to serve the notice of intent to summarily suspend a license upon the respondent as described in §B(4)(a) and (b) of this regulation, the Board may nevertheless proceed to prosecute the case.

C. Predeprivation Opportunity to Be Heard.

(1) If the Board issues a notice of intent to summarily suspend a license, the Board shall offer the respondent the opportunity to appear before the Board to show cause why the respondent's license should not be suspended before the Board executes the order of summary suspension.

(2) Predeprivation Show Cause Hearing Before the Board.

(a) The hearing shall be a nonevidentiary hearing to provide the parties with an opportunity for oral argument on the proposed summary suspension.

(b) The Board member presiding at the hearing shall determine all procedural issues and may impose reasonable time limits on each party's oral argument.

(c) The presiding Board member shall make rulings reasonably necessary to facilitate the effective and efficient operation of the hearing.

(d) The respondent and the administrative prosecutor may not exceed 30 minutes each to present oral argument.

(e) The respondent shall proceed first and may reserve part of the allotted time for rebuttal.

(3) The Board member who presides over the hearing:

(a) May allow either the respondent or the administrative prosecutor to present documents or exhibits which are relevant and material to the proceedings and which are not duly repetitious, if the presiding Board member believes that such documents or exhibits are necessary for a fair hearing; and

(b) May not allow testimony by any witness unless agreed to by the parties and approved by the Board in advance of the hearing.

(4) A Board member may be recognized by the presiding member to ask questions of either party appearing before the Board.

D. Summary Suspension Without Prior Notice or Hearing Opportunity.

(1) Extraordinary Circumstances. The Board may, after consultation with Board counsel, order the summary suspension of a license without first issuing a notice of intent to summarily suspend license or providing a respondent with an opportunity for a predeprivation hearing if the Board determines that:

(a) The public health, safety, and welfare require the immediate suspension of the license; and

(b) Prior notice and an opportunity to be heard are not feasible.

(2) Time-Service and Hearing.

(a) An order of summary suspension under §D(1) of this regulation shall be served upon the respondent within 24 hours after its execution.

(b) The respondent shall be provided an opportunity for a hearing before the Board within 15 days after the effective date of the summary suspension.

(3) If the respondent requests a hearing under §B(3)(a)(iii) of this regulation, that hearing shall:

(a) Be conducted before the Board as provided in §D(2)(b) of this regulation; and

(b) Provide the respondent with an opportunity to show cause why the Board should lift the summary suspension and reinstate the license.

E. Burdens of Production and Persuasion.

(1) In a show cause proceeding under §C of this regulation, the respondent may present argument in opposition to the allegations presented in the order for summary suspension or which otherwise demonstrate that the public health, safety, or welfare is not at risk.

(2) The administrative prosecutor bears the burden of demonstrating by a preponderance of the evidence that the health, safety, or welfare of the public imperatively requires the Board to summarily suspend the respondent's license.

F. Disposition.

(1) If the Board issues a notice of intent to summarily suspend a license before summarily suspending a license, the Board may, after the show cause hearing, vote to:

(a) Order a summary suspension;

(b) Deny the summary suspension;

(c) Issue an order agreed upon by the parties; or

(d) Issue an interim order warranted by the circumstances of the case, including one providing for stay of the summary suspension subject to certain conditions.

(2) If the Board orders a summary suspension before a show cause hearing, the Board may, at the conclusion of the hearing, vote to:

(a) Affirm its order of summary suspension;

(b) Rescind the order for summary suspension;

(c) Issue an order agreed upon by the parties; or

(d) Issue an interim order warranted by the circumstances of the case, including one providing for a stay of the summary suspension subject to certain conditions.

(3) An order for summary suspension or other order issued by the Board after the initiation of summary suspension proceedings are final orders of the Board and public records under State Government Article, §10-611, Annotated Code of Maryland.

G. Postdeprivation Opportunity for an Evidentiary Hearing.

(1) If the Board orders the summary suspension of a license under §C or D of this regulation, the respondent shall be provided with an opportunity for an evidentiary hearing before the Board, or if the Board delegates the matter to the Office of Administrative Hearings, before an administrative law judge.

(2) The respondent may request an evidentiary hearing within 10 days after the Board issues the order of summary suspension.

(3) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, a hearing shall be provided within 45 days after respondent's request.

(4) An evidentiary hearing may be consolidated with a hearing on charges issued by the Board that include the facts that form the basis for the summary suspension.

(5) An evidentiary hearing shall be conducted under the contested case provisions of State Government Article, Title 10, Subtitle 2, Annotated Code of Maryland.

(6) If the Board delegates the matter to the Office of Administrative Hearings, the administrative law judge shall issue a recommended decision to the Board with:

(a) Proposed or final findings of fact;

(b) Proposed or final conclusions of law;

(c) A proposed disposition; or

(d) Any combination of §G(6)(a)-(c) of this regulation, pursuant to the Board's delegation of the matter to the Office of Administrative Hearings.

(7) If the hearing is one combined with charges, the administrative law judge's determination of the merits of the summary suspension shall be based only on the parts of the record available to the Board when the Board voted for summary suspension.

(8) The parties may file exceptions to the recommended decision, as provided in the State Government Article, §10-216, Annotated Code of Maryland.

(9) An order issued by the Board after a postdeprivation evidentiary hearing is a final order of the Board and is a public record under State Government Article, §10-611, Annotated Code of Maryland.